Junkk.com promotes fun, reward-based e-practices, sharing oodles of info in objective, balanced ways. But we do have personal opinions, too! Hence this slightly ‘off of site, top of mind' blog by Junkk Male Peter. Hopefully still more ‘concerned mates’ than 'do this... or else' nannies, with critiques seen as constructive or of a more eyebrow-twitching ‘Oh, really?!' variety. Little that’s green can be viewed only in black and white.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

With the 'brimming with vindication' consumer market research burning a hole in my filing cabinet, yesterday was supposed to be the day of a big meeting with a PR whiz to get the media, at least (hopefully followed by consumers, groups and government) to sit up and take note of RE:tie as a green, disability PR, CSR and sales dream come true.

Sadly, snow stopped (well, postponed, possibly until next year) play.

Suitably snookered, I was licking my wounds when I happened across this:

Bearing in mind that equal to RE:tie's 'green' cred is its contribution to enablement, this was not unfortuitous.

Of course I have weighed in:

'Retailers risk repelling some of their wealthiest customers with excessive and poorly-designed packaging which older people find difficult to open or use...

+

...Nearly half of more than 2,000 people questioned said they are sometimes unable to take lids or caps off products such as plastic milk bottles or jars because of the packaging

As one with more than a passing interest in PR & marketing, what surprises me is how resistant many brands are to initiatives designed not only to boost their CSR, but which may also confer more than a slight USP/sales advantage too, which one has to presume is the holy grail.

With luck it is but a matter of time before design initiatives such as http://www.retie.co.uk/ or http://www.squeezeopen.com/ get noticed, embraced and appreciated as much by those marketing whizzes (and their bosses forever on the TV claiming to be in support of 'innovation') as much as they may be by consumers.

I have also contacted the professional bodies cited, and downloaded a useful research aid:

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The route from here to my Mum's home (where I visit twice daily) is about 10 mile, each way.

It's almost all a stretch of dual carriageway between Ross on Wye and Monmouth, along the A449/40.

On a good day, 10 mins, door-to-door.

On a bad day.... best to be thinking in terms of nifty beard styles.

No dual carriageway or motorway is any different. Great when they work, but you're stuffed when they don't.

And the worst part is that once you're in, there is no way out.

Which got me to pondering.

With all the technology that exists today, from hardware such as Highway Agency gantries to TrafficMaster, and immediate on-site assessments from the police to drivers with Bluetooth mobiles, surely there has to be a way to identify the problems quickly and accurately, and inform others upstream usefully and reliably.

This stretch is a prime example. There is nearly zero alternative route (trust me, I did a tour of Herefordshire trying), so the most logical thing is, surely, to position just two warning signs, one Southbound at Ross and one Northbound at Monmouth, that basically tells you that section of the route is stuffed (for how long in terms of miles and duration until resolved optional extras). I can't see how this would cost too much, and it would save so much.

OK, there will be the vast stream of traffic pouring in that will divert, or stop, or go back, but surely that is better than creating a several mile backing up car park with motors idling?

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

A few years back, we had a shower unit installed in the master bedroom.

Recently, we had rain in the lounge below.

As luck would have it, we had taken out one of those British Gas insurances on all sorts, including, we thought, plumbing.

As it turns out, luck was against us... the wrong kind of plumbing.

A man came, saw, and went away. We'd run the shower, he looked, nothing happened, and away he went.

Thing is, it started raining again.

This time, I went into full Sherlock mode and, armed with a camera, 'observed' the missus at her toilette. Racy. But, more critically, the blooming waste pipe was dripping a storm! That... was covered. How had they missed it before?

So I got them back.

Blow me down... nothing again.

Then I had a brainwave.

I recalled a story about a lady who said her telephone didn't work when it rained. Several engineer visits later, no sign of any problem.

Then, as luck would have it, one call-out day, the engineer meets her in the driveway on a rainy day. Shaking out her brolly, as they enter the hall she hangs it up to dry... on the telecom wire, just enough to pull the connection apart.

So I thought laterally, and donned a pair of Speedos and climbed in to shower while the engineer surveyed beneath. Sure enough... a leak.

What was happening was the weight of the person on the shower tray was dropping it enough to create a gap the older sealant couldn't accommodate.

Sorted, but sad part is... that aspect is not covered by the insurance.

Plus seeing off a young man in my bathrobe has done my reputation locally no good at all.

What lies above...

This blog getting ever more extensive as I add stuff and Blogger adds features. This Nav Bar is worth a scroll down. It has a full search list of topics covered. And is... growing. Please pop across to Junkk.com (link below) too as I need the visitor numbers until I can figure out how to combine those here with the site. It is equally fun and informative, but most new stuff is currently here as it is easier to add.

Note that for any post with 'CATEGORY - [topic], it will be evolving, with (for now), most recent post last (at end), indicated by 'NEW'.

Note: My social and ad commentaries were going beyond this blog's remit, so if you are minded, may I commend (with content cautions) 'El Burro Hotay' and 'Bordello Ivory Tales', respectively, to further pursue these aspects of life, the universe and... well, stuff.